Dave Scheidler’s plans after his graduation from Chippewa Valley Technical College Tuesday, Dec. 20 is far different than what his fellow graduates have in mind. Scheidler isn’t too interested in building a career. He plans to go right back to CVTC as an unpaid volunteer instructional assistant in the Welding program he just finished.

“I could tell the instructors could use some help, and I have time to spare,” said Scheidler, 58, of Cadott, a retired career Army veteran whose benefits take care of most of his needs.

Scheidler was one of 315 graduates in 38 programs honored at the CVTC commencement ceremony held Tuesday, Dec. 19 at UW-Eau Claire’s Zorn Arena. The largest program by far was Nursing-Associate Degree with 91 graduates, followed by Business Management with 26. The graduates honored included 19 from the Nursing-Associate Degree program at the CVTC River Falls campus. In addition, 10 students received their General Education Diploma or High School Equivalency Diploma.

Scheidler was one of five graduates in the two-year Welding Fabrication program. There were 14 additional graduates in the one-year Welding program. Welders are in such high demand that most, if not all, have jobs lined up already. But Scheidler didn’t enroll in the program with an eye toward getting a good job.

“I spent 20 years, three months and seven days in the Army,” Scheidler said. “I was a combat engineer. I put in minefields, did demolition, built roads and bridges – whatever they needed me to do.” He spent his last three years as an adviser to National Guard engineering units in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Scheidler did a variety of things after his military retirement in 1999, working at Menards, becoming a partner in the Latigo and Lace bar near Cadott, and taking classes in the CVTC Air Conditioning, Heating, and Ventilation program. He also bought a 10-acre hobby farm where he raises a few black angus beef cattle and some horses.

“Every time a piece of equipment broke, you’d have to find someone to fix it,” Scheidler said. “So I bought a welder and decided to come to school and learn how to weld.”

Scheidler said he may still pick up a part-time job welding at some point, but some disability issues limit his availability. “Too much bouncing around in armored personnel carriers,” he said.

Scheidler feels he is a good role model for the young students in the Welding program. “I want to get kids to start thinking in the right way,” he said. “Some don’t seem to understand the value of their education. They may be able to weld like a son-of-a-gun, but can’t show up on time. I’ve had a lot of experience working with people and helped out the first-year students this year.”

Working with the Welding students isn’t Scheidler’s only volunteer effort. He recently started “We Got Your 6 Outdoor Adventures,” in which he takes veterans suffering PTSD symptoms on fishing and hunting excursions, all free. He explained that the name comes from “6” being at the bottom of the clock, representing the “back” – as in “we got your back.”

Chippewa Valley Technical College delivers superior, progressive technical education which improves the lives of students, meets the workforce needs of the region, and strengthens the larger community. Campuses are located in Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, Menomonie, Neillsville and River Falls. CVTC serves an 11-county area in west central Wisconsin. CVTC is part of the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) and is one of 16 WTCS colleges located throughout the state.

Did you know?

Manufacturers in Wisconsin account for almost 20% of the state’s economic output.